Police renew murder appeal

Mr Apsley was shot dead on his doorstep

The police have made a fresh appeal for information on the first anniversary of the murder of a man in County Down.

Father-of-two Mark Apsley, 38, was shot dead on the doorstep of his home at Dickson Park in Ballygowan, on 30 November last year.

The victim's six-year-old son answered the door to the gunman, who asked to speak to his father.

When Mr Apsley appeared, he was shot up to six times and died instantly.

Police said the boy had not witnessed the shooting and was in another room with his mother and two-year-old sister.

The murder is not thought to have been sectarian.

On Sunday, Detective Chief Inspector Alan Todd, who is leading the investigation, said he hoped someone with "vital evidence will come forward".

He said he would particularly like to speak to anyone who could help identify a small, silver car thought to have been used by the killers, which has not yet been recovered.

At the time, neighbours reported hearing a car drive away from the scene at speed.

Mr Apsley had moved to the house in Ballygowan a short time before the shooting.

Detectives have carried out a number of previous searches in relation to the murder and made a number of arrests, but police said they had yet to identify the killers.